South Korea has chosen Confucian academies and mudflats off the southwest coast as its final candidates to bid for 2018 UNESCO World Heritage status.

The Cultural Heritage Administration said its committee decided last Thursday that "seowon" and "gaetbeol" along the southwest coast will vie for the 2018 UNESCO recognition as a world cultural heritage and world natural heritage, respectively.

Seowon refers to private educational institutions from the Joseon Dynasty, where worship ceremonies were held for admirable sages and the doctrines of Confucianism were taught. Gaetbeol refers to South Korea's famed mudflats that are present along the south and east coasts of the country.

The World Heritage Committee will determine whether they merit the 2018 world heritage status at a meeting to be held in 2019.

Until 2018, UNESCO will assess two items from each country submitted for the cultural heritage and natural heritage recognitions. However, beginning 2019, a country will be able to field only one candidate for the world heritage status.